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Wall Street, big banks, and their allies in Congress are working to strip away vital consumer protections we rely on every day.

There are those who argue that over-regulation is crippling the economy and stifling opportunity. And there certainly are examples of laws that go too far, regulations we could do without, and rules that are downright ridiculous. Maybe you’ve heard about the case of the little girl needing a $3,500 permit to operate a lemonade stand?

But right now in the name of regulatory reform, Wall Street, big banks, and their allies in Congress are working to strip away vital consumer protections we rely on every day. Protections that keep Wall Street in check, and keep our retirement savings and college accounts safe. Protections that ensure financial services are offered at a fair price, and with the consumers' best interests in mind. Laws that help ensure our personal financial data is kept secure, and is accurate. Even rules that ensure airline passengers have basic rights when they travel.

CONSUMER PROTECTIONS AT RISK

Our Cop On The Financial Beat

What’s at stake: After the 2008 economic collapse, our national network helped create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the only agency devoted to creating and enforcing fair, clear and transparent rules to protect consumers in the financial marketplace. Wall Street and their allies in Congress are pushing to weaken or even get rid of the CFPB.What we’re doing: We’ve launched a campaign to defend the Consumer Bureau, and are building consumer champs in the Senate to defend it against attack. Learn more.

CONSUMER PROTECTIONS AT RISK

When Credit Bureaus Make Mistakes

What’s at stake: If Equifax, Experian or TransUnion make a mistake or mishandle personal information that results in financial harm, we should be able to sue them for appropriate damages. New proposals would limit civil penalties from lawsuits, severely reducing the incentives for credit bureaus to fix their mistakes.What we’re doing: We’re opposing the laws that limit civil penalties, and pushing for reform that would force the credit bureaus to improve the accuracy of credit reports and credit scores and fix mistakes more quickly. Learn more.

When Financial Data Gets Hacked

What’s at stake: From Target to Home Depot to Equifax, hackers have breached the security systems of some of the largest companies and credit agencies and stolen personal financial information. When our data is stolen, it shouldn’t be up to the company to decide whether to tell us. It should be the law.
What we’re doing: We’re supporting new free credit freeze laws to give you more control over your credit reports. We’re supporting strong data security laws that require data breach notices, but opposing proposals that would leave disclosure up to the company, or that would preempt any state activity on data security or identity theft protection. Learn more.

When Banks Gouge Merchants

What’s at stake: Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express charge merchants “swipe fees.” Those fees really add up, and usually get passed on to consumers, including cash customers. Many merchants pay more in bank fees than they do in rent or employee costs. What we’re doing: Our national network supported a successful proposal that capped swipe fees on debit cards. We’ve joined lawsuits challenging unfair bank and credit card swipe fees and practices.

Investment Advice Should Be In Our Best Interest

What’s at stake: New rules would require that any time an investment broker pitches stocks or other financial products to you, they must use a high standard that ensures the advice be in your best interest. The new administration has delayed enforcement of and seeks to weaken this rule.
What we’re doing: Our national network helped develop and pass the “Best Interest Rule.” Now we’re working with our coalition of dozens of consumer, senior, labor and investor protection groups to fight for it.

Airline Passenger Rights

What’s at stake: Our national network helped establish the Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights, which guarantees that passengers trapped on the tarmac for three hours or more have certain rights, including potable water and the ability to leave the plane. The airline lobby is working to roll back these rights and even make it easy to advertise fares deceptively. What we’re doing: We’re defending our existing passenger rights against airline demands to weaken them.

Our national Watchdog team is on the ground in Washington, D.C., keeping an eye on any legislation or policy that threatens commonsense consumer protections, or puts consumers at risk. And together with our affiliates in other states across the country, we’re working to build enough consumer champions in the Senate that we can keep our consumer cop on the financial beat.

Through our network's research and public education, we’re also working to make sure that when it comes to consumer protections, lawmakers have all the facts, citizens stay informed, and decisions that affect all of us are made in the open. And when consumer protections are threatened, we work with the media to get the word out, and give people in our state the tools and information they need to put pressure on our leaders to do the right thing.

Our focus is on making a difference in public policy and in our lives. We look for the places where our combination of advocacy, grassroots action and policy expertise can make the biggest impact.

Recently, we’ve taken actions and won policies that helped to establish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, helped protect consumers from identity theft in the wake of the Equifax data breach, ensured products we bring into our homes are safe, stopped credit card and payday lenders from ripping people off, and helped consumers find the best deals on banks and other financial services. We’ve worked hard to win these victories, and with our members and other supporters, we’re determined to defend them.

We work to unite people from all across the political spectrum around commonsense solutions to problems we all face. Our advocates in Washington, D.C., lobby members of Congress from both parties. Our advocates here at home build coalitions that include small business owners, health care professionals, religious leaders and people from all walks of life. Our organizers and canvassers talk to thousands of people every week.

TAKE ACTION

Tell Congress: Don't Weaken The Consumer Bureau

Some proposals hidden in the budget would weaken the Consumer Bureau and remove critical consumer protections. Make your voice heard today.